Connector for battery-electrodes, fuses &amp;c.



No. 640,479. Patenied flan. 2, H909. W. M!LL$.

CONNECTOR H E BATTiERV ELENEODES, FUSES, $4.6

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)-

UNITED STATES PATENT UEEIcE.

WILLIAM MILLS, OF ELIZABETH, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE EASTERN CARBON VJORKS, OF RAHVVAY, NElV JERSEY.

CONNECTOR FOR BATTERY-ELECTRODES, FUSES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,479, dated January 2, 1900.

Application filed March 16, 1899. Serial No. 709,248. (No model.)

T all whom it l! Concern: reduces the cost of the connector, while the Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLS, a citifrictional engagement with both the conduc- Zen of the United States,residing at Elizabeth, tor and the electrode produces a more perfect county of Union, State of New J ersey,haveinelectrical connection, as it induces friction 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements between the parts when they are connected in Connectors for Battery-Electrodes, Fuses, together, and thus cleans the contiguous sur- &c.,fully described and representedin the folfaces and brings them into closer contact. lowing specification and the accompanying The invention will be understood by refdrawings, forming a part of the same. erence to the annexed drawings, in which 10 The object of the present invention is to Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cylinfacilitate the connection of a conducting wire drical carbon electrode provided with the conor strip to a battery-electrode; and this object nector, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the lug is accomplished partly by providing the elecupon the cylinder with the connector in place trode with a connector having a spring-clip thereon. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the elec- 15 in which the conducting wire or strip may be trode with the connector inserted partly in readily crowded, so as to make an effective place; and Fig 4 is an elevation of a flat carcontact without the use of screws or pliers. bon electrode, showing the slot prepared for The object is, further, accomplished by makthe conductor. Fig. 5 shows the connector ing the clip detachable from the electrode with the series of coils at one side of the spring- 20 and providing it with spring-arms adapted arms, and Fig. 6 shows the connector with for attachment to the electrode by a frictional the series of coils at one end of the springengagement. The spring-arms may be readarms. Fig. 7 shows a zinc electrode with the ily made in one piece with the spring-clip by connector secured permanently on one end. bending a piece of wire to form a series of Fig. 1 is drawn upon asmaller scale than the 2 5 adjacent coils to constitute the clip and the other figures.

remainder of the wire into a couple of paral- In Fig. 1, a designates the electrode, and Z) lel loops to form arms adapted for insertion a lug upon the top of the same, having slots 0 in a slot or hole upon the electrode. The Wire to receive the arms of the connector. d desigloops spring elastically apart in a sufficient nates the coils of the spring-clip, c and e the 0 degree to crowd within the slot upon the eleoparallel loops or arms to fit within the slot, trode, and thus form normally-extended arms and f the hook upon the terminal of the arm which press against the sides of the slot and 6. An abrupt bend is formed in the wire at naintain their connection with the electrode the opposite end of the arms from the hookf by a frictional engagement. The terminal of to produce a shoulder g, which is arranged to 3 5 the wire forming one of the spring-arms may strike the face of the lug b when the arms are be slightly hooked at the end and the slot pressed therein, and the hook fis projected formed in a lug upon the electrode, so that slightly through the lug, so as to engage its the hook may project beyond the farther side farther side. The coils d are bent at right of the lug and hold the connector securely in angles to the shoulder portion g and arranged o 0 the slot without preventing its removal when to set upon the top of the lug b in a convendesired. A shoulder is formed upon the wire ient position to slip the connecting-wire 7L beat one end of the arms to regulate their penetween the coils, as shown in Fig. 2,which thus tration within the slot, and with such conforms a spring-clip to elastically grip the wire. struction the connector may be instantly se- The pushing of the arms into the slot 0 cleans 5 5 cured to the electrode by merely pressing the off the contacting surfaces of the wire, and arms within the slot as far as the shoulder thus secures a perfect electrical connection will permit. The attachment of the connecwith the carbon a, while the crowding of the tor to the wire conductor and to the electrode wire it between the coils cl serves to clean the L by a frictional engagement saves the expense contiguous surfaces of the wire and coils, and

50 of the screw attachments which are commonly thus afford them a perfect connection.

used for such purpose, and thus Very greatly to designates the fiat carbon electrode shown in Figs. 0 and 4, in which the connector is shown inserted half-way-through the slot and the coils bent parallel with the shoulder portion g, so as to lie upon the face of the electrode.

The two forms of the connector just described are shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The spring-clip may be used to make electrical connections with fuses switches, and in various other situations, and the slot or aperture to receive the spring-arms may be formed upon any suitable part of the object to which the connector is to be applied.

The detachable character of the connector is of great value upon carbons, as it may be applied instantly to the slot or aperture and makes a much better electrical contact than the screw-stud which is commonly used. Such studs consume much time in their application, as they require the removal of two nuts and the insertion of the stud through the lug I) and the tight clamping of the nuts upon the lug to prevent their loss in transportation. The slot for the spring-arms is most readily formed on the carbon where the latter is provided with a flat lug or portion through which the slot can be extended.

The wire connector may be made and sold as a separate article of manufacture for application to electrodes, and it is also sold in combination with the electrodes and considerably reduces the cost of f urnishing an electrode with a connector by its cheapuess in manufacture and the great saving in time in applying it to the electrode.

A. spiral spring has been used between two collars upon a binding-post of smaller diameter than the interior of the spring; but in such construction the wire is coiled around the binding-post between the successive coils of the spring. My invention is much more simple, as it involves spiral coils only and differs materially in its operation, as the clip is formed wholly of the elastic coils (Z and entirely obviates the winding of the conducting-wire 7t, which is inserted in the connector by pressing it laterally between the coils and across the diameter of the same, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is 1. The combinatiomwith a carbon electrode having a flat portion or lug with slot extended wholly through the same, of a connectorcomprising a piece of spring-wire bent to form a series of adjacent coils and provided with normally-extended spring-anus fitted elastically within such slot.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a connector having a spring-clip formed of a series of coils to elastically grip a conductor, and provided with spring-arms to lit elastically in a battery-electrode.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a connector having a series of spring-coils to elastically grip a conductor, and provided with normally-extended spring-arms to engage within a slotin a battery-electrode.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a connector comprising a piece of spring-wire bent to form a series of coils, elastic arms to engage a slot in the conductor and a shoulder at one end of such arms to regulate their penetra tion into the slot, substantially as herein set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture, the battery-electrode connector consisting of a single piece of Wire bent to form the elastic coils d, the shoulder g, and the double loops 6, c,

with hook j" at the terminal of the loop 6, as

and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM MILLS.

Vitnesses:

L. LEE, 'lnorms S. CRANE. 

